III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 207 

Recognizing and honoring the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2005 

Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. REID, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. SMITH, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. 

LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. STABENOW, 

Mr. OBAMA, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. BINGAMAN, 

Mr. WYDEN, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. REED, Mr. 

ISAKSON, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. 

BURR, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. MARTINEZ, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. 

HAGEL, and Mr. COLEMAN) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and honoring the 15th anniversary of the 

enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 

Whereas July 26, 2005, marks the 15th anniversary of the 

enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 

1990; 

Whereas prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it was commonplace for individuals with disabilities to experience discrimination in all aspects of their 

everyday lives—in employment, housing, public accom-
2 

•SRES 207 ATS

modations, education, transportation, communication, 

recreation, voting, and access to public services; 

Whereas prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities often were the subject of stereotypes and prejudices that did not reflect 

their abilities, talents, and eagerness to fully contribute 

to our society and economy; 

Whereas the dedicated efforts of disability rights advocates, 

such as Justin Dart, Jr. and others too numerous to 

mention, served to awaken Congress and the American 

people to the discrimination and prejudice faced by individuals with disabilities; 

Whereas Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to craft 

legislation making such discrimination illegal and opening 

doors of opportunity to individuals with disabilities; 

Whereas Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act 

and President George Herbert Walker Bush signed the 

Act into law on July 26, 1990; 

Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act pledged to fulfill 

the Nation’s goals of equality of opportunity, economic 

self-sufficiency, full participation, and independent living 

for individuals with disabilities; 

Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibited employers from discriminating against qualified individuals 

with disabilities, required that State and local governmental entities accommodate qualified individuals with 

disabilities, encouraged places of public accommodation 

to take reasonable steps to make their goods and services 

accessible to individuals with disabilities, and required 

that new trains and buses be accessible; 
3 

•SRES 207 ATS

Whereas since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has 

played an historic role in allowing some 54,000,000 

Americans with disabilities to participate more fully in 

our national life by removing barriers in employment, 

transportation, public services, telecommunications, and 

public accommodations; 

Whereas accommodations such as curb cuts, ramps, accessible trains and buses, accessible stadiums, accessible 

telecommunications, and accessible Web sites have become commonplace since passage of the Americans with 

Disabilities Act, benefitting not only individuals with disabilities but all Americans; and 

Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act is our Nation’s 

landmark civil rights legislation for people with disabilities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes and honors the 15th anniversary 

3 of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities 

4 Act of 1990; 

5 (2) salutes all people whose efforts contributed 

6 to the enactment of such Act; and 

7 (3) encourages all Americans to celebrate the 

8 advance of freedom and the opening of opportunity 

9 made possible by the enactment of such Act. 

Æ